“RESENTMENT” AT MAYOR’S REMARKS

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31828, 5 November 1968, Page 1

“RESENTMENT” AT MAYOR’S REMARKS

“The criticisms made by the Mayor of Christchiirch (Mr A. R. Guthrey) in his election campaign, when he tried to give the impression that councils surrounding the city were not providing their share of metropolitan facilities, are strongly resented,” said the chairman (Mr D. H. Warren), at the first meeting of the new Paparua County Council last evening.

“Some of Mr GuthTex’s remarks were insulting,” he said. “We have taken this criticism long enough, and the editorials in the newspapers. We should join the chairmen of Waimairi and Heathcote in protesting.

“Perhaps there is a feeling of jealousy on Mr Guthrey’s part towards the surrounding councils because of the high standards of development they have attained, and the facilities they have provided for the people at considerably lower rates than would have been paid in the city,” he said. “It is obvious that in trying to encourage amal-

gamation with the city, Mr Guthrey has been influenced more by possible advantages that might come to city ratepayers than by any advantage that might be gained by the people of the localities he would like to take over.” Mr Warren said that it was of considerable interest that, in spite of all the propaganda directed at them, the people of Heathcote had made it very clear in the election results that they wanted to control their own affairs. Heathcote people were to be congratulated on the firm stand they had taken. There should be fullest cooperation among the metropolitan councils on major metropolitan projects, said Mr Warren. But if the City Council wished to retain this co-operation, a change of attitude would be needed to

overcome the resistance and resentment that had been built up during the election period.

Mr Warren said that Paparua County had always taken a full part in matters affecting metropolitan Christchurch, and would, he hoped, continue to do so. People in the county were going without things that could be provided with the thousands of dollars the county paid to metropolitan amenities. The recent talk had been election year hysteria, said Cr H. W. Bennett. Paparua was not against amalgamation for betterment if it was the right and proper thing at the right time.

Cr A. Y. Shuker took exception to some of Mr Warren’s remarks and said that such comments were “only keeping the pot boiling.”